David Beckham Retires: 'Now Is The Right Time To Finish'

Former England captain David Beckham has announced his retirement from football.

The 38-year-old, currently playing at French champions Paris St-Germain, said in a statement today: "I'm thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level".

Prime Minister David Cameron led the tributes to the former England captain: "David Beckham has been an outstanding footballer and a brilliant ambassador for his country. Congratulations on a fantastic career."

Beckham has 115 caps for his country and has played for some of the biggest clubs in the world, including Manchester Utd, Real Madrid, AC Milan, and Los Angeles Galaxy.

He is the only English player to win league titles in four different countries.

David Beckham's Football Career

Beckham joins a number of other English football icons who are retiring this season including Paul Scholes, Sir Alex Ferguson, and Jamie Carragher.

Former team-mate Gary Neville said: "David was different - he was a crosser of the ball, a passer of the ball, he was a joy to play with... He has probably been the most influential player out of England in transforming football. The impact he has had is enormous."

Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson said: "I rank him very, very highly. I never had any doubts about picking him."

Beckham' football career comes to an end on Sunday 26 May at Lorient's Stade du Mustoir, which has a capacity of just 18,500.